Cell processing includes steps where cells or cell elements are treated with different process chemicals or are washed and then separated from a liquid phase. For example, when preparing frozen erythrocytes for transfusion, erythrocytes are separated from cryopreservatives and other blood components such as white cells, platelet and sub-cellular debris. The entire process must be performed under sterile conditions that minimize the risk of contamination. Furthermore, whole blood is separated into its various therapeutic components such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma which are later transfused. There are different cell processing systems that process biological cells in an automated or semi-automated way. These systems may use a controller connected to various sensors and valves for controlling the process and helping an operator to maximize the processing efficiency. However, these systems do not interactively adjust the process based on the amount or type of the processed cells or different processing conditions.
Hospitals require a constant blood supply for transfusion. After donors provide blood, regional blood centers are responsible for ABO typing, infectious disease testing, component manufacturing, and distribution of red blood cells to hospitals. The hospitals again, test the A, B, AB, O blood group and cross match the available blood units to the appropriate patients. Since group O blood can be transfused universally, there is a high demand for group O blood, in general, and especially in emergency situations where the delay caused by typing and matching is not acceptable. Furthermore, the processed blood has a relatively short shelf life of 42 days, after which it may not be transfused. The balancing of the inventory of red blood cells is extraordinarily complex. On a daily basis, the regional blood centers must match the demand for different blood groups with the available supply held at the blood centers, and at its hospital customer sites around the country. The individual blood units are constantly moved within the system in order to match daily variation in supply and demand. In fact, individual units are frequently moved three to four times within the system before finally being transfused. Even with the best efforts by the participants to ensure that each collected unit is ultimately transfused, 4% to 8% of all collected units outdate before transfusion and must be discarded. A processing system that would reproducibly convert A, B or AB type blood to O type blood would satisfy a crucial need in this field. The availability of O blood cells would improve red cell availability, substantially eliminate red cell outdating caused by the inability to match units with recipients within the 42 day outdate window, eliminate the need for the frequent reshipment of blood units in order to match the daily supply and demand, and eliminate the need for retesting for the blood type.
Therefore, there is a wide spread need for an automated interactive cell processing system that can adjust the processing algorithm based on the type of the processed cells or the amount of the cells. Furthermore, there is a need for an automated interactive cell processing system that can assure uniform and reproducible processing condition of the same type of cells regardless of their amount being processed or the processing location.
There is also a need for an efficient means for distributing the various process chemicals and biological cells from various sources to a central processing location.
In one embodiment, a device is provided for distributing a fluids from different sources to different destinations. The device receives fluids from a plurality of different sources and distributes the fluids out of a port to a destination. The device also receives fluid from the destination and transfers the fluid to another port out to another destination.
In one embodiment, a device is provided for distributing a plurality of fluids. The device includes a plurality of ports for receiving a plurality of fluids. The device includes a channel coupled to the plurality of ports, and a first port coupled to said channel. The first port is adapted to transfer fluid from said plurality of ports a first destination, and to receive fluid from said first destination. The device also includes a second port coupled to said channel adapted to transfer fluid received on said first port from said first destination to a second destination.
In another embodiment, a connector is provided that includes a first port to receive a first source of fluid, a second port to receive a second source of fluid, a first outlet in communication with the first port, and a second outlet in communication with the second port. The first and second outlets are adapted to be attached to first and second input ports of a device for distributing the first and second fluids to a particular destination.
In another embodiment, a device is provided for storing fluids that includes a first compartment for storing a first fluid, and a second compartment for storing a second fluid.